The present invention relates to an engine mount apparatus for mounting an engine on the chassis of an automobile.
Generally, in the process of mounting an automobile engine, (in this specification, the mounting of an engine means mounting on a chassis an engine as a single unit or a power train incorporating an engine, a transmission, etc.), the engine is lifted up to a specific height from below a chassis, and in this state the chassis and the engine are coupled with each other via a plurality of mount bodies.
Conventionally, the mounting of an engine is carried out by attaching mount bodies 2 at specified positions of an engine 1 and coupling the mount bodies 2 with a chassis 3 by the use of bolts or the like that are tightened from various directions.
Although the structure of an engine mount apparatus and a method of attaching the same to a chassis vary depending on the position of installation and the difference in the structure of the engine itself, there is a case where a portion of the engine 1 on the rear-side of the chassis 3 is supported by the chassis 3, as shown in FIG. 10 and 11. The engine mount 2 used for this portion is arranged such that a rubber material 5 is fitted inside a casing 4 and a shaft 6 is inserted into the rubber material 5 so as to form the mount body 2, and then the shaft 6 of the mount body 2 is fixed to the engine 1 by bolting or the like via a bracket 8. Then, an arm 9 fixed to an outer peripheral surface of the casing 4 is secured to the chassis 3 by bolting or the like.
Furthermore, depending on a type of automobile, there is a case where the engine mount body 2 is fixed to a dash panel 10, and this dash panel 10 is used to support the engine 1 (FIG. 12).
Conventionally in such a case, as shown in FIG. 12, a bracket 11 having a projecting distal end is formed by sheet metal processing, a proximal portion of this bracket 11 is welded to the dash panel 10, and a distal end thereof is coupled with the mount body 2 or an unillustrated engine mount bracket.
With the above-described conventional engine mount apparatus, however, the bolting work has to be carried out in a horizontal direction in view of the relationship in configuration between the mounting portions on the engine 1 side and the chassis 3 side. Therefore, there has been a problem in that the operation of fixing the mount body 2 to the chassis 3 is made extremely difficult. This is because the operator must carry out the positioning of the mount body 2, fixed in advance to the engine 1 side, with respect to the chassis 3 within the limited space of the engine room between the engine 1 and the chassis 3.
Furthermore, if a bracket is used, since it is formed of sheet metal and has a structure in which a projecting distal end projects, there has been a drawback in that the bracket is weak in terms of its mechanical strength and is not only disadvantageous in terms of the mechanical strength of the chassis but also liable to cause the vibrations of the engine to be transmitted to the compartment of the automobile. Furthermore, there has been an additional problem in that the work efficiency is poor since the bracket must be fixed to the mount body 2 in the horizontal direction.